Outside, with the morning sun warming my face, I noticed how oddly quiet the crowds were.

“Can you feel their fear?” I whispered to Harry. “It’s so strong I can smell it.”

“What did you expect? Each year they sacrifice their daughters to the dragon to keep him from destroying the town. They say no knight can slay the monster.”

“Where is Lady Allsden?” I asked.

“Tied to a post, just ahead.”

“What does she look like?”

“Like every other girl her age, all hair and eyes.”

“And the dragon?”

“Not here yet. Now’s your chance to cut her free.”

“I think I can make it from here,” I said, shaking off his hand.

Harry turned, scrambling, his feet pounding the ground as he dashed away.

“Mabel?” I called, groping forward.

“Lady Allsden to you,” an angry voice snapped back.

“My apologies, Lady,” I said, following the voice. “I am--”

“Yes, I know. You’re Lionel, the blind prince. And I suppose you can imagine how THRILLED I am to have a BLIND prince coming to rescue me.”

Her tone brought the hot blood to my cheeks. Stumbling forward, I reached the pole, and groped down it until I found the cords that bound her hands.

“I suppose,” I said, slicing through them, “that you’d prefer I left you to face the dragon alone.”

“At least I could SEE him!” she snapped, shrugging out of the loosened cords.

Before I could retort, a roar like an earthquake shattered the stillness. The air around me vibrated to the beat of monstrous wings, and I gagged at the reek of sulfur and rotting meat that clung to the air. Then, with a thump that shook the earth, the dragon landed.

“Get back, before you’re scorched!” I cried, leaping in front of Mabel with my shield held high.

“Who says this is a fire-breathing dragon?” she scoffed. “Why, it could be-- DUCK!”

I did, covering my head with my shield as a burning wave of heat shot over me.

“Sorry,” Mabel said, her voice quavering.

“Get away!” I yelled, stepping toward the noise and stench.

“No!” she screamed, clutching me from behind. “How can you fight something you can’t even see?”

“Then be my eyes!” I snapped. “What’s the dragon doing?”

“It’s standing there, watching us, with the most HORRIBLE red eyes. Oh, keep your shield up! It’s swinging its snaky neck back and forth and I think it might strike.”

Before I could react there was a ‘whish,’ like arrows flying, and something barreled into my shield.

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Yes, a fun story - and very well-written. Seems like a chapter in a book, to me. More, please (and perhaps with the dragon's name?). Just the right amount of moral to the story, not preachy in the least, but the point is made through delightful scenes, dialog and plot.